Call to uphold and safeguard the religious freedom and fundamental rights of all Indian citizens: Press note from KJPSS

Please see here the press note from Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi (KJPSS), a constituent of the Presbyterian Church of India, urging the governments to uphold and safeguard the religious freedom and fundamental rights of all Indian citizens.

PRESS STATEMENT

By The

Khasi Jaiñtia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi

Shillong, Meghalaya.

The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Khasi  Jaiñtia  Presbyterian  Synod  Sepngi, one of the constituents of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of India with its headquarter in Shillong, Meghalaya, having a membership of more than 340000,  which  met  in  Shillong,  Meghalaya  on  Thursday,  05^th  February,  2015  is seized of the  recent  developments  concerning  forced  conversion,  re-conversion  and  proposed  ban  on  conversion.  In the light of such developments and after a thorough discussion, it was decided to issue a Press Statement as follows:

That  the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi expresses  its  appreciation  to  the  HRD  Ministry  for  withdrawing  its advisory  to  States  and  directives  to  the  Navo  Vidyalayas  on  opening  schools  on  25^th December, 2014  to  observe  “Good  Governance  Day”  as  per  guidelines  given.

The  25^th  December  every  year  being observed  worldwide  as  Christmas  Day to commemorate  the  birth  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  observed for more  than  2,000  years,  and  is one of the  main religious festivals in  India. The event is being observed meaningfully through worship of praise and thanksgiving by Christian community. Therefore, the Church humbly requests the Government of India to maintain the privilege of Christians to observe Christmas Day as usual. It would heartily welcome and appreciate if the Government would observe Good Governance Day on any other important date.

That  it  is deeply  painful  to learn through the media that there are many cases of anti-Christians activities in recent months, such as vandalizing Christian worship places, induced  re-conversion,  forced  change  of  nomenclature  of  priests  and  nuns  in certain parts  of the  country,  installing  of  statues  of other gods and goddesses  in  Christian  places  of  worship  and  institutions. Such acts create  a sense  of  insecurity  among  the Christians who  are  committed  and  dedicated  to  the  sovereignty  and  integrity  of  the  nation  and  who are  citizens  of  pluralistic  and  Secular Democratic India.

That  it  is  compelled  to  remind  each  and  every  Indian  citizen,  no  matter  to  which  religious persuasion they belong and adhere to, the  fact of  the  matter  that  the  Constitution  of  the  country  has  prescribed  religious  freedom  for  institutions  of  religious  minorities.

Therefore,  it  urges  upon  the  Governments  at  the  Centre,  States  and  Union  Territories  to  uphold and safeguard the  religious freedom and fundamental rights of  all  Indian  citizens as provided in the Constitution. It also urges upon all fellow citizens to live  in  religious/communal  harmony  by  respecting  each  other,  one  another’s  religious  belief  and  not  to  give  space  and  opportunity  for  destroying  the  inter-woven  fabric  of  unity  in  diversity  as  envisaged  by  the  founding  fathers  of  this  great  nation  and  makers  of  India’s  Constitution.

As Christian citizens of the country we assure our co-operation with, and pray for, the authorities in the effort to bring peace, justice and general welfare of all citizens.

May God bless our country to have peace, harmony and progress in all aspects.

Sd/-

Rev.  S.  S.  Majaw

Moderator,

Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod Sepngi